A federal judge on Tuesday pressured the FTC to accept a settlement offer from Staples that would clear the way for the office supply chain to merge with rival Office Depot.

The surprise request came after Staples told Judge Emmet Sullivan that the regulator failed to prove its case — and declined to even put up a defense.

The offer Staples placed before the Federal Trade Commission — which filed suit to block the $6.3 billion deal between the No. 1 and No. 2 office supply chains — is to freeze prices for three years for corporate customers if the deal is allowed, according to a source in the courtroom.

Federal court Judge Sullivan, who has been critical of the FTC during the trial, told the regulator to go home and think about the offer.

If it decides to reject the offer, the FTC should present written arguments by next week ahead of April 19 closing arguments, the source said.

Staples made its bold move not to present a defense because the FTC “failed utterly” to prove its antitrust case, Diane Sullivan, a Staples lawyer, told the court.